Self-clamping paper-cutter.



No. 646,880. Patented Apr. 3, |900.

. C. L. SMITH.

SELF CLAMPING PAPER GUTTER.

(Applicatin led Aug. 3, 1899.)

INVENTOR arZeJL/fm 2%.

ATTORNEYS port l, having a table 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. SMITH, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

Y SLELF-CLAISIIPING` PAPER-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,880, dated April 3, 1900.

Application filed August 3, 1899.

To @ZZ wwnt 'it may concern:y

Be it known that l, CHARLEs L. SMITH, a

citizen of the United States, residing in they borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and usefullmprovements .in Self-Clamping Paper-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel features of construction set forth in the followin g'specication and claims, andillustratedin the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a paper-cutter embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a section along w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view' of the knife-bar. friction device.

In the drawings is shown a frame or sup- To cross-piece 3, supported abovethe table, is jointed link 4, to which is jointed knife-bar 5, provided with knife 6, Figs. 2 and 3,' which in cutting moves toward and across the table to give a draw cut. A clamp 7 holds the paper or material to the table during the operation, so that a proper or neat cut is obtained. This clamp 7 is constructed with a wide longitudinal slot, rectangular in outline, through which the paper-table extends, and its side pieces 7 are. guided by ways or grooves in frame 1, and the lower transverse piece 7l connects the side pieces 7. The upper transverse piece 7 is the clamping portion, as it holds the material to the table.

In the frame is mounted a driving-shaft 8, which can have the usual fast and loose pulleys and fly-Wheel, as required. The driving-shaft 8 by gear 9 transmits motion to gear 10, mounted on or fixed to shaft 11. To this shaft or to gear 10 is secured a smaller gear 12, engaging gear 14, secured to or made to rotate the counter-shaft 15. Ofy course this train of gears can be modified as to size and number of gear-Wheels, if required.

The transmission-shaft 15 acts as a driver for the knife-bar, said shaft having eccentrics or cranks 16. The links 17 are jointed or loosely connected to the eccentrics 16 and to knife-bar 5, and as shaft 15 rotates the cranks 16 reciprocate the links and the knifebar. The shaft 15 has a crank or eccentric 18, from which extends link 19 to lever 20,

Fig. 4 shows a brakel orl Serial No. 726,041. (Nomodel.)

mounted on or pivoted at 21 vto the clamp 27, encircling a hub on the ratchet-wheel, prevents too ready rotation of the ratchet-wheel. This brake-band 27 canbe readily formed in any suitable way-as, for example, by a strap having an end secured to a cross-piece 28,- a screw 29 engaging the other end of the strap Vand serving to adjust the friction or grip of the strap about the ratchet-wheel hub as the latter is to turn' more or less easily. The fric tion or brake band can be adjusted so that the clamp 7 will press the material more or less firmly to the table 2, according as such material is harder or softer.l

Supposing the material to be cut has been placed on the table under the clamp and knife, then as the shaft or driver 15 rotates the link 19 is drawn downward or away from the table 2. The tendency of the long arm of the lever 2O is to raise or swing up the linkl 22; but by reason of pawl 23 engaging the ratchet-wheel'26 this pawl acts as a holder and prevents link 22 from rising until the lever 20 by its point or pivot 21 has drawn the papenclamp onto the material on table v2 and such material has been clamped or compressed to the required degree, as determined by the adjusted tension of the friction-brake, which friction-brake may be of any construction suitable for the purpose in hand.

The lever 20, it is not-iced, acts at times as a first and second class lever. When the clarnp7 is at rest, the point 2lis the fulcrum, the link 19 the power, and the link 22 the resistance. The lever is now of the Iirst class. Then the clamp is being moved and the link 22 is at rest, the point 21 is the resistancepoint, while the lever f ulcrums on the link 22. The lever is now of the second class. Of course the connecting-point 21 can be set, as required, nearer to one end or another' of the lever 20, and as this point is set one way or another the leverage isvaried. In other words, the links 19 and 22 allow the lever 20 to be mounted or extended across the clamp to opposite sides thereof, so as to project more or less on one side or another, and when set as required the fulcrum or pin 2l is passed through or across the lever. As the clamp 7 carries this fulcrum 2l the clamp and lever 2O are connected or the lever is carried by the clamp, and the lever while it rocks or swings on said clamp rises and falls therewith.

The free end of the pawl-carrier 24 can be prevented from dropping too low either by coming to rest on the floor or on a cross-piece 30 in frame l, or the clamp part 7 can be provided with a stop or out of such size as to prevent the lever from dropping link 22 too low. When the pawl -24 is at rest and the shaft l5 raises link 19, the lever 2O raises the clamp 7, so as to give room for material to be placed on the table under the clamp.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lett-ers Patent, is

l. The combination, in a paper-cutting machine, of a paper-table, a cutting-knife, a paper-clamp arranged above the paper-table and ext-ending under the same, a swinging lever pivotally supported at one end, fulcrumed between its ends directly on the part of the clamp under the table and rising and falling with said clamp, means for actuating the knife, and devices connected with the end of said lever to draw its fulcrum and the paper-clamp downward and to swing the lever on said fulcrum, and a friction brake mechanism in operative connection with the said support for the other end of said lever, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, in a paper-cutting machine, ofa paper-table, a cuttingknife, means foroperating the cutting-knife,a paper-clamp having a part extending under the paper-table, a lever fulcrumed between its ends directly on said part of the paper-clamp under the paper-table to swing upon and rise and fall with said clamp, mechanism connected with one end of the lever to draw its fulcrum and the paper-clamp downward, and ratchet and friction brake mechanism connected with the other end of said lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a paper-cutting machine, of a paper-table, a cutting-knife, a paper-clamp having a part arranged under the paper-table, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said part of the paper-clamp under the paper-table to provide long and short arms, mechanism connected with the short arm of the lever to draw its said fulcrum and the paper-clamp downward, a vertically-movable link pivoted to the lon g arm of said lever, a pawl connected with said link, a ratchetwheel with which the pawl engages, and devices operating on the ratchet-wheel to resist its rotation when said lever is actuated and tends to move said link upward substantially as described.

' 4. The combination, in a paper-cuttingmachine, of a paper-table, a cutting-knife, a paper-clamp having a part extending under the paper-table, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said part of the paper-clamp under the paper-table and rising and falling with said clamp, mechanism connected with one end of the lever for drawingits fulcrum with the paper-clamp downward, a vertically-movable link connected with the other end of said lever, an arm connected with said link, a pawl on the arm, a ratchet-wheel having a hub, and a friction-band encircling said hub, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

' W. C. HAUFF,

E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

